Amarula Dorpers of Gravesend have reached new heights at their 21st annual on-property sale by setting an impressive new top price of $50,000.
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The family-operated stud cracked the half century with Amarula 221391 selling to return buyers Phil and Trish Palmer, Ivanhoe.
The stud defined the current slump in the prime lamb market along with dry seasonal conditions by selling 164 from 169 combined Dorper and White Dorper rams to an overall average of $3608.
Not only were rams in hot demand but ewes also attracted high interest, with a clearance of 10 white Dorper ewes to a $1600 top and $1180 average, along with 14 from 15 Dorper ewes to an $1500 top and $1142 average.
Passed in lots for both rams and ewes were sold post sale.
In the sale breakdown, 97 Dorper rams cleared to a $50,000 top for a $3920 average, while 67 from 72 White Dorper rams sold to a $7000 top for an $3175 average.
Results were just slightly back on last year's total clearance of 163 rams for an $3978 average but up from the $29,000 top.
There were 32 registered bidders in attendance with 45 successful purchases online via AuctionsPlus.
The $50,000 sale topper went under the hammer of auctioneer John Settree before attracting bids from all around the sale pen. The starting bid of $4000 was blown out of the water by other bidders.
By Amarula Flynn 187779, the eighteen-month-old ram will be travelling over 950 kilometers just east of Broken Hill to his new destination.
"We purchased Amarula Flynn who is the father of the top-priced ram today a couple of years ago for $40,000 along with his other 2 sons last year," buyer Phil Palmer said.
"We've now got the full genetic package out of Amarula Flynn."
The Palmer family completed their sale draft with six rams to a $13,000 average, along with seven ewes to a $1766 average.
The top-priced White Dorper ram, Amarula 222324, sold for $7000 to Maxafari Trust, Moonie, Qld. The northern buyer completed their draft with 10 rams to a $4225 average.
JMC Grazing Pty Ltd, Morven, Qld, bought 13 rams to a $3461 average.
Maxwell Family Trust, Wee Waa, purchased six rams to a $3416 average.
First time buyer GD and RE Turnball, Brewarrina, purchased 14 rams to a $2625 average.
Volume buyer and also a new purchaser of the stud was RP and JM Rogers, Ivanhoe, who completed their draft with 19 rams to average $2328.
Stud principals Justin and Lorroi Kirkby said this year was "the best draft of rams we have ever offered".
"Our two volume buyers here today were new clients who came to us via word of mouth through the success others have had through our rams," Mr Kirkby said.
"Coming out of the back end of last year with the interest rate rise, lamb and cattle market falling along with being the first sale of the year it was a bit unknown."
The sale kicked off with the annual charity dorper ram being sold for $2000 . Total proceedings from the ram were donated to "Are You Bogged Mate" with Flynn Kirkby auctioneering off the ram. The stud matched the selling amount which brought the total proceedings to $4000. The Gravesend based stud has donated just shy of $20,000 to different charities through their annual ram sale over the years.
Amarula came in at third place for the highest terminal ram average Australia wide for 2023 and will again be a strong contender for the year ahead.
The sale was covered by Nutrien, Narrabri, with AuctionsPlus providing the interface.
